A recipe for sustainable success

Alex shares how growing fresh herbs is not only easy but far better than any alternative found in the shops

If you have any sort of herbs or spice in your meals, you are aware (I hope you are aware) that fresh herbs taste so much better than the dried variety.

Most green herbs can actually be grown in a little pot, even for the horticulturally hopeless such as myself.

Growing your own herbs can provide you with fresher herbs than you could ever purchase at a store. Additionally, growing your own herbs will provide you with a constant supply to add flavour to your dishes.

Grow your own

Here are just two of my favourite (and easiest) herbs to grow!

Curled parsley has some of the lowest carbon emissions out there, but it takes some thyme (thank you) to grow, about two years to germinate. After germination, however, it is surprisingly easy to maintain.

Thyme is a perennial herb, which means it lasts for a long time, coming up every year. It doesn’t take up much space and requires very little maintenance.

Some people grow mint as well but I find it to be invasive in flower beds. It needs its own pot.

My two top herbs above require the least water and are not invasive. They can also of course be beneficial to increasing biodiversity. Just make sure they are planted in small quantities and you do not plant them in an already biodiverse place.

If you are unsure where to get these seeds, your nearby Waitrose should have a range, but the ideal solution is a farmer’s market or a local grower.

For the more experienced horticulturalists, The Culinary Herb Company visits a number of Farmer’s markets on Saturdays and Sundays, including Wimbledon, South Kensington and Balham.

Here are more tips, for the hardcore horticulturalist. And remember, just bay-leaf in yourselves!